On 23 and 24 May, Make it British LIVE! opens its doors to welcome over 5,000 visitors to The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, for the fifth edition of the only 100% British sourcing event dedicated to UK manufacturers and British-made brands. Amongst the 56 new exhibitors for 2018 are a blocked hat manufacturer, a yarn dyer, Britain’s only natural button makers, an holistic skincare brand and a saddlery company, and of the 200 exhibitors at this year’s show over 30% are family businesses.
There are 28 garment manufacturers, 7 machinery suppliers and 35 producers of accessories, from umbrellas and hip flasks to scarves and socks. What’s more, many of the companies exhibiting are well over 100 years old, with two being founded in the 1700’s. “Some of these century-old firms have never exhibited at a trade show before. This makes you realise just how much the industry needs a platform like this to promote what they do,” says Kate Hills, founder of Make it British and Make it British Live!
“Whether a company is 100 years old or brand new, most of them are facing the same challenge at the moment – finding skilled staff. A lack of young people coming into the industry affects everyone attending this show in some way, which is why we wanted to make sure that skills and training were high on the agenda this year,” she adds. “We’ve teamed up with the UKFT to dedicate one of the halls to a manufacturing skills exhibition, which highlights the work being done to support a new generation of talent. It includes a skills consultation area with UKFT’s skills and training specialists.”
The two-day event includes a symposium, chaired by renowned industry commentator Eric Musgrave, and features 25 speakers who between them have over 500 years’ experience in manufacturing in the UK.
